Veterinary speculum.



No.; 7l4,369. Patented Nov, 25,1902; B. J; FLEMING.

VETERINARY s'PEc'uLum.

(Application med Aug. 4, 190'2.)

(no Model.)

Robert Fl?ming"I1y?c9fer @Aiu vs m: NORRIS Pznzns c0. Pno'raummWASHINGTON, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. FLEMING, OF TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN.

VETERINARY SPECULUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 714,369, datedNovember 25, 1902. Application filed August 4. 1902. Serial No. 118,329.(NomodeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. FLEMING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Traverse City, in the county of Traverse and State ofMichigan, have invented a new and useful Veterinary Speculum, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices employed for the purpose offacilitating the administration of medicine to horses or other animalsor to facilitate working in the mouthin treating the teeth or adjacentorgans accessible through the mouth, and has for its object theconstruction of an easily operated and applied device whereby the mouthsof horses and other animals may be forcibly opened and held open withoutinjury to the animal.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, ashereinafter shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspectiveView of the device applied andin its expanded position. Fig. 2 is aperspective View of the device applied and in'its contractedposition'.

1 members 1011, as shown.

In this device is embraced two spaced frames adapted to embrace oppositesides of the animals head and secured in place by suitable straps andcontaining an expanding bit engaging the animals mouth and with meanscarried by the frame whereby the bit may beexpanded to forcibly open themouth and hold it open as long as desired. The frames referred to areduplicates, so that like designating characters will be employed forlike parts in each frame. The frames consist of reversely-curved sidebars lO l1, pivotally united at their upper ends at 12 and provided withspaced bits 13 14 at their opposite ends, the bits preferably in theform of rollers and uniting the opposite frame The bit members when theframe members 11 are compressed will be adapted to fit the .animalsmouth in substantiallythe same manneras i bit-bars instead of one.

other suitable yieldable material to prevent injury to the animal whenin use. The pivotpin 12 of the bars 10 11 extends laterally and engagesa slot 15, arranged longitudinally in a bar 16, the bar extendinginwardly between the bars 10 11 and united movably to two diverging bars17 18, the outer ends of the latter connected to clips 19 20, secured tothe bars 10 11 intermediate] y of their lengths and forming atoggle-joint, as shown. By this arrangement it will be obvious that ifthe bar 16 be moved inward the bars 17 18 will exert an outward forceupon the bars 10 11 and distend them, whereas, on the contrary, if thebar 16 be moved outwardly the bars 10 11 will be drawn toward eachother, the movement of the bar 16 thus controlling the relativepositions of the bit-members 13 14. l

Attached to the forward ends of the bars 10 11 are rings 21 22,affording means for the attachment of straps 23 24, the strap 23 adaptedto be passed over the nose of the animal and the strap 24 adapted to bepassed beneath the lower jaw, by which means the device is attachedadjustably to the sides of the animals head and the bit members 13 14supported in place.

At the junctures of the bars 10 11 loops 25 are connected-to affordmeans for the connection of a strap 26, passed over the animals headbehind the ears and completing the connectionof the device to its head.-The strap 26 will be provided with a buckle 27, and the straps 23 24will likewise be provided with buckles 28 29, respectively, so that thedevice may be readily adjusted to the head of the animal. By'this simplearrangement it will be readily understood the device is supported uponthe head of the animal similar to an ordinary headstall, and in the caseof horses will so closely resemble the headstall that it will not excitethe fears of the horse or cause him to shy when it is applied.

Means will be attached to the device for forcibly operating the bar 16and its attachments, and this means consists ina curved cam-lever 30,pivoted at 31 to one of the bars 10 or 11, preferably to the under bar11, and provided with an operating-handle 32. At

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the double purpose of a support to the rollers and also as a guard toprevent lateral movement of the cam-lever. By this simple arrangement itwill be readily understood that any movement of the handle member 32will operate the cam-lever 30 and correspondingly move the arm 16longitudinally of the device, the longitudinal slot 15 forming a guidingmeans to the bar to maintain it in its proper relative position withreference to the bars 10 11.

Attached to the bar 11 is a bar 36, having spaced ratchet-teeth withwhich a pawl 37 on the arm 18 engages, so that the bars 10 11 may beforcibly held at any point and prevented from being closed. By thisarrangement it will be obvious the bit members 13 14 may be forciblydistended to any desired extent to forcibly open the animals mouth to acorresponding extent by simply operating the handle members 32 and themouth held open for any length of time by means of the pawls 37,engaging the ratchet-racks 36, and then when the device is to bereleased it is only necessary to throw the pawls out of engagement withthe racks. By this simple structure the mouth of the animal may beeasily and gradually opened and without straining the muscles of themouth or injuring the animal in any manner. The device can be handledvery gently, so that the fears of nervous animals will not be excited.

With this device the whole interior of the mouth of the animal isexposed, so that the teeth and other organs or parts accessible throughthe mouth may be treated without injury to the animal and Without dangeror inconvenience to the operator.

The parts are all very simple in construction and will be made as lightas possible to retain the necessary strength.

It will be noted that the combination of the parts secures a very strongleverage, so that the resistance of the strongest animal will not besufficient to prevent its operation.

The friction roller-bearings 33 34 are an important feature of theinvention, as they greatly reduce the friction between the parts andreduce the resistance to a minimum.

The parts may be modified in minor particulars without affecting theprinciples of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to theprecise structure shown in all its details.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device ofthe character described, spaced side frames engaging the head of theanimal, means for attaching said frames to the upper and lower jaws,spaced bit members connecting said frames, toggle levers connecting theframes, and a cam-lever having an operative connection with saidtogglelevers.

2. In a device of the class specified, spaced frames adapted to besecured to the upper and lower jaws of the animal and provided with bitmembers, toggle-levers connecting the frames, a sliding bar connected tothe toggle-levers, and a pivoted cam-lever for effecting thelongitudinal movement of said sliding bar.

3. In a device of the character described, spaced side bars engaging thehead of the animal from opposite sides and pivotally united at one endand connected through the mouth of the animal at their other ends byspaced bit members, a longitudinally-movable bar having a slot engagingthe uniting-pivot of said side bars, distending-bars coupled by theiradjacent ends to said slotted bar and movably engaging said spaced barsintermediately of their lengths, and means carried by said side bars forforcibly actuating said longitudinal bar and thereby causing said sidebars and connected bit members to separate and correspondingly distendthe mouth of the animal, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, spaced side bars engaging thehead of the animal from opposite sides and pivotally united at one endand connected through the mouth of the animal at their other ends byspaced bit members, a longitudinally-movable bar, distending-barscoupled by their adjacent ends to said longitudinal bar and movablyengaging said spaced bars intermediately of their lengths, and means forforcibly actuating said longitudinal bar and thereby correspondinglyoperating said side bars and their connected bit members, substantiallyas described.

5. In a device of the character described, spaced frames adapted to bedistended and engaging the head of the animal from opposite sides,spaced grip members connecting said frames through the mouth of theanimal, a longitudinallymovable bar, distendingbars movably coupled tosaid longitudinal bar and movably cngagingsaid spaced framesintermediately of their lengths, and a camlever movably engaging one ofsaid frame members and adapted to operate said longitudinal bar and itsconnected distendingbars, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the character described, spaced frames adapted to bedistended and engaging the head of the animal from opposite sides,spaced bit members connecting said frames through the mouth of theanimal, a longitudinallymovable bar, distendingbars movably coupled bytheir adjacent ends to said longitudinal bar and movably engaging saidspaced frames intermediately of their lengths, and means carried by saidframe for actuating said longitudinal bar and its connected distendingbars and frames, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, spaced side bars engaging thehead of the animal from opposite sides and pivotally united at one endand connected through the mouth of the animal at their other ends byspaced bit members, distending-bars movably coupled by their adjacentends and movably engaging said spaced side bars, alongitudinally-movable bar engaging said distendingbars at their coupledends, and a cam-lever carried by one of said spaced bars and movablyengaging said longitudinal bar and nally-movable bar engaging saiddistendingbars at their coupled ends and having a 10ngitndinal slotengaging the uniting-pivot of said side bars, and a cam-lever carried byone of said spaced bars and movably engaging said longitudinal bar andadapted to operate it and its connected distending-bars, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in 25 the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J-FLEMING. Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. EARLS, BENJAMIN S. HADLEY.

